Bruce

I am a Business Owner / Entrepreneur ( I am looking for a Strategic Alliance )

United States, Ca... "GOURMET TO GO COMPANY DESCRIPTION Gourmet To Go, a California based partnership, will operate a central commissary in San Diego, and produce a line of baked goods, entrees, prepared foods and sauces. Wholesale baked goods will be distributed to retail accounts throuought the Southern California region, while our other food products will be distributed from a chain of well-placed retail outlets in up-market neighborhoods. Full-service catering will also be available from the commissary. MISSION STATEMENT The company's goal is that of a multi-faceted success. Our first responsibility is to the financial well being of the corporation. We will meet this goal while trying to consider the following: 1) the effect of our products on the health and well being of our staff and customers, 2) the impact that our business practices and choices will have on the environment, and 3) to maintain a high level of fairness, understanding and generosity between management, staff, customers, and vendors. Awareness of all these factors and the responsible actions that result will give our efforts a sense of purpose and meaning beyond our basic financial goals. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Gourmet to Go is based on the simple premise that the most rapidly expanding market segment in the food and restaurant industry is the ""Home Meal Replacement"" category. Until now this segment of the market has been serviced by entirely inappropriate venders. The current leaders in this segment are grocery store and discount warehouses like Ralph's, Vons and Price Club/Costco. They recognize the need for home meal replacement items, but neglect to provide the convenience, service or quality that is fundamental to the very core of the home meal replacement concept. We will fill this niche with a wide variety of soups, salads, artisan breads, prepared entrees, desserts, sauces and condiments. We will make these items available to the public in a variety of convenient ways. Customers will purchase menu items hot, chilled or frozen. We will provide the option to eat in our outlet, take food out, or have food delivered. Orders can be placed over the phone, via fax or on our website. We will also offer a range of catering options from casual to full-service. Customers will have the choice to supplement their own home cooked meal with items from Gourmet to Go, or to purchase a complete meal from appetizer to dessert. We will offer the ultimate in quality, flexibility and convenience. By placing the majority of our production in a central commissary we achieve several important goals. The first is quality control. In addition we are able to reduce the size of each retail outlet and subsequently, reduce lease costs. Similar savings are achieved in reduced labor and in capital investment for equipment. OBJECTIVES Our short-term objective is to establish Gourmet to Go as the preeminent home meal replacement vender in San Diego County. Our commissary can support 10 outlets, a goal that we can achieve in approximately 5 years. At that time we will have several options. Expand the chain into the Los Angeles / Orange County area with another centrally located commissary to clone our success, or position ourselves for a profitable acquisition. MANAGEMENT The principals in Gourmet to Go are Bruce Pain and John Smilanic. Bruce Pain has operated profitable restaurants in California and Hawaii. In addition he has owned a very successful full service catering company with annual sales of over $750,000. John Smilanic also has extensive experience in the restaurant industry in Colorado and California. He has been a professional pastry chef on both the wholesale and retail levels. MARKETING AC Nielsen, a global leader in the delivery of market research to consumer products and service industries reports that ""The growing phenomenon of home meal replacement has become a major issue for retailers as consumer spending for take-out meals in 1998 topped $100 billion per year. Close to one-quarter of U.S. food dollars were used to purchase take-home meals."" The fundamental thrust of our marketing consists of positioning ourselves by emphasizing quality and convenience. Direct marketing campaigns that stress these aspects of Gourmet to Go can be focused on each neighborhood for cost-effective market penetration. FINANCE A realistic estimate of annual sales per unit is approximately $750,000 to $1,000,000. When we reach our five-year goal of 10 retail units, our gross sales will be approximately 6.98 million dollars. Gross profit (pre tax) estimates of $1.74 million are well within industry norms. INVESTMENT INFORMATION Gourmet to Go requires an immediate initial funding of $500,000. This amount will fund the central commissary and one retail outlet. In addition it will provide operating capital for the first year. The second year of operation, we will open 2 more outlets, requiring a capital investment of $300,000 for both stores. Our third year of operation will see an expansion of 2 more units, requiring $300,000 in capital investment. Year four will add two more outlets requiring an additional $300,000. Year five will complete our expansion plans in the San Diego area. We will add 3 more retail units, requiring $450,000 in investment. ...